The Lift
by Michelle Birkby
Summary: After Chimera, Sam and Jack take another lift ride alone together..and then somone starts humming
1. Default Chapter

"Colonel!"  
  
"Carter"  
  
"Coffee." Daniel yawned, and walked away, leaving her standing awkwardly outside the lift...again. Well, she couldn't very well walk away, so she stepped in, and pressed the button for her floor.  
  
They stood there in silence for a moment, Sam trying very hard not to hum. So it was a surprise to her when she heard, a moment later, humming. And not just humming, but 'Singing in the Rain.'. Well, she presumed it was singing in the rain. One or two of the notes were wrong, but it was almost right.  
  
He was humming. The Colonel was humming. She crossed her arms, determined to ignore him, but the humming got louder. She sneaked a sideways glance at him. Oh yeah, it was definitely him, humming, looking round the lift, at the buttons, the hatch in the roof, anywhere but at her.  
  
"Ok, I give in, who is she?" she finally asked.  
  
"Who?" he asked, surprised.  
  
"You were humming."  
  
"I was?"  
  
"Don't act all surprised. You were humming 'Singing in the Rain.' I heard you."  
  
"Oh." He said innocently. "No, I just saw the movie last night and the tune got stuck in my head."  
  
"Right." Sam said sceptically. "You saw 'Singing in the Rain."  
  
"Yep. Why, don't you like it?"  
  
"It's my favourite movie." She said through clenched teeth. "As you know."  
  
"No, I don't know, why would I know that?" he asked, even more innocently. Sam gritted her teeth. She wasn't going to smile, she WAS NOT going to laugh.  
  
"Because we all know each other's favourite movies. Teal'c's is Star Wars, Janet's is Notorious, Jonas's is Twister, and Daniel's is Spaceballs."  
  
"Spaceballs?"  
  
"Spaceballs, and you know perfectly well mine is Singing in the Rain."  
  
"Daniel's favourite movie is Spaceballs?" Jack asked, incredulous.  
  
"You're changing the subject. Why were you humming?"  
  
"What's my favourite movie?" he challenged. She opened her mouth to answer..and stopped.  
  
"C'mon" he goaded. "You know Jonas's favourite movie, and you've only known him two years. We've know each other..what...seven years? You must have some idea."  
  
"Wizard of Oz" she replied, triumphantly.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"You're always quoting from it!" she cried indignantly.  
  
"That just shows I've seen it a lot. Actually, it's my second favourite. Do you have any idea what my first favourite is?"  
  
Sam shrugged, and grimaced, and looked everywhere but at Jack, but eventually she gave in.  
  
"No. But I know it isn't Singing in the Rain!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because ...because..."  
  
"Because men like me are supposed to like the French Connection, Serpico, Seven.."  
  
"No!" she sputtered indignantly, but he ignored her and carried on talking.  
  
"Which reminds me, how is Pete?"  
  
"What?" she glanced up suspiciously, and folded her arms even tighter, but Jack looked innocent enough. Mind you, she thought, it was innocent Jack you had to watch out for.  
  
"Pete? Your boyfriend? Remember?"  
  
"Yes, I remember, and he's fine." She said, trying to repress Jack's interest, but he ignored that too.  
  
"You two doing anything special this weekend? Romantic picnics, walk on the beach, 24 hour stakeout, watching a marathon of Starsky and Hutch?"  
  
She repressed a laugh, biting the inside of her lip. God forbid Jack should ever find out Pete had suggested bringing over every Starsky and Hutch video he had.  
  
"He's in Denver."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" she snapped.  
  
"Oh, just oh, you know, he's in Denver so I suppose..."  
  
"Suppose what?"  
  
"Suppose you'll spend the weekend working."  
  
"Ok." She said, reaching across in front of him and pushing the stop button for the lift, ignoring Jack's indignant 'hey!'  
  
******************** 


	2. chapter 2

"What's going on?" She demanded, her hands on her hips.  
  
"What is it with you and Daniel always stopping the damn lift to have a chat!"  
  
"I know you don't like Pete."  
  
"I never said I don't like him" Jack said hurriedly.  
  
"But he and I...what did you say?"  
  
"I said I didn't say I don't like him."  
  
"You like him?" said asked, mistrusting.  
  
"Well..." he looked over at her, then turned to face her, only the merest trace of a smile on his face.  
  
"I think he's charming." Jack said. "In fact, I think you have exquisite taste in men."  
  
"Exquisite?" she asked, not bothering to suppress the grin. Jack relaxed. If he could still make Sam smile, everything was ok.  
  
"Exquisite. Why, the bloom's not wearing off, is it?"  
  
"No!" Sam said hurriedly, facing the front of the lift again, as Jack finally figured out how to restart it. "No, no, no, we're both very happy."  
  
"Four no's." said Jack, quietly. "That's extremely happy."  
  
"Hey, he's got one good point at least."  
  
"Just one?" Jack asked, frowning.  
  
"I've been with him two weeks and he's still alive." She said, smiling to show she was only joking, that all those deaths hadn't really hurt her that much, but Jack didn't smile back.  
  
"I've been with you seven years and I'm still alive too." He said softly.  
  
The lift stopped, the doors opened, and Jack stepped out, but before he could walk away, Sam stopped the lift doors closing.  
  
"Sir!" she called. He turned around, hands rammed in his pockets, and walked back to her, questioning. "Your favourite movie...It's Life of Brian."  
  
He smiled, and nodded, then glancing around admitted,   
  
"I was humming about a woman"  
  
Sam tried to keep smiling, but she was aware her smile had frozen, and there was a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.  
  
"Really? I'm very happy for you."  
  
"Yeah." He said, still smiling, and leaning in closer, whispered to her. "Her name's Samantha.".  
  
He span on his heels, and walked away, humming 'Always look on the bright side of life'. Laughing, suddenly light-hearted, Sam let the lift doors close.  
  
THE END 


End file.
